


Coffee and Tea

by kpowell123



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee and Tea are equally important to me, Getting Together, M/M, Nobody's a Morning Person, Nobody's on SMH
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 21:59:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11541255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpowell123/pseuds/kpowell123
Summary: Derek's first thought for anyone who takes his Starbucks order is to declare them a mortal enemy. Too bad with Will it's different.Chapter 1 for NurseyDex Week 2017, Day 3-Alternate Universe





	Coffee and Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this is just barely an AU, like if you squint maybe it is. I'm counting it, because they're not on the hockey team. But I've had this idea for a while and just switched it from a Harry Potter fic. I'm posting the first chapter as part of NurseyDex Week!

Derek is running late. Again. He’s not happy about it. He told himself he was going to do better for his sophomore year, but that doesn’t mean that his brain and his body are on the same page when it comes to getting out of bed. It’s only two weeks into the semester and he’s hastily pulling a red beanie on his head as he grabs his backpack and power walks out of his dorm room. It’s also his fault for picking a class that starts at 9:15, when he knows full well he has trouble getting out of bed before 9:30.

As he’s closing his door, he checks the time on his watch. 9:12. He knows he really doesn’t have time, but he’ll be damned if he has to sit through a two hour geology lecture without some sort of caffeine. He walks fast. He can make it to Starbucks and then to geology and only be a few minutes late.

Three minutes later, Derek stands in the crowded on-campus Starbucks as he waits for his order to be called. It seems like everyone is running late this morning. He texts his senior art friend Larissa, who he usually sits next to in geology as he waits for his drink.

“Derek and Will!” a barista shouts, as he lays two drinks down on the pick-up counter. Derek shoves his phone into his pocket and hustles to grab his drink, almost running into a lanky redhead as he does so. He picks up two honey packets and a spoon so he can add it to his tea when he gets to class and hurries on his way.

Surprisingly, Derek makes it to class without spilling hot tea on himself, so he counts that as a success even though his morning got off to a late start. He sits down in the seat that Larissa saved for him and takes out his laptop to pretend to take notes. Then he opens his to-go cup and notices something is off.

“What the fuck?” he whispers.

Larissa turns to him. “What is it?”

“This isn’t my tea.” He takes a sip to confirm. “Yup. This is just black coffee.”

“Did you pay attention to what cup you were picking up?”

Derek looks at the cup to see that it says, Will and not Derek on the side. “Crap. Another guy’s order was ready at the same time. We must have picked each other’s up by accident.”

“Just drink his coffee, dude.”

“I don’t like just black coffee. If not half and half, I at least need some sugar. And all I have is honey.”

Larissa shrugs. “That’s rough. Can I have it?”

Derek scowls as he puts the top back on the cup and hands it over to her. He tries to focus on the lecture, but he’s mostly just thinking about how he’s going to have to buy some other form of caffeine after this class lets out.

**…**

Friday mornings aren’t nearly as terrible as Derek’s Tuesdays and Thursdays. He doesn’t have class, so he sleeps in until 10 and then grabs a coffee and sits and writes for a few hours. Since it’s still nice out, he’s excited to go sit by the Pond and people watch for a while.  
 ****

He’s standing in the on-campus Starbucks again, waiting for his drink and playing on his phone. He decided to mix things up and get an iced mocha. It’ll go well with the muffin he got.

“Derek!” the barista calls, as she lays down his drink.

He moves towards the counter, and within seconds another barista is putting down another drink and calling out, “Will!”

Derek stops dead in his tracks. He turns to see the same redhead he almost ran into the other day reaching for his drink. They glare at each other.

“Derek,” Will says.

“Will,” Derek replies. They don’t say anything else for a second.

“Rachel. Now will you too please move so other people can get their drinks?” the barista glares right back at both of them.

They pick up their drinks and move to the counter where the sugar and milk are sitting.

“Are you really about to add more sugar to an iced mocha?” Will snorts.

“I’ll have you know that I am just getting a napkin. I have a muffin, and I also tend to spill things a lot. Are you going to add cream to your coffee today?”

“Since I’m not in a rush, I thought I might. But at least you can drink black coffee on its own. Earl grey tea just tastes like a burnt leaf if you don’t put anything else in it.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t drink so much black coffee you wouldn’t be as grumpy.”

Will finishes stirring his coffee and turns to look at Derek. He rolls his eyes. “Whatever, I don’t have time for this.”

“Yeah, well neither do I!” Derek shouts as Will leaves the coffee shop. How is he supposed to get any writing done now that he’s all worked up?

**…**

Derek starts the third week of the semester off right by being on time for his geology lecture on Tuesday. He even had time to stop and buy his tea and he sits down in his seat a whole five minutes before class starts. As he’s pulling out his laptop, he gets a text from Larissa asking if he can take a few notes for her since she’s not feeling well and won’t be in class. He’s in the middle of texting her back when someone sits down in the seat next to him. He looks up to see none other than the redhead from the coffee shop.  
 ****

Derek frowns. “Since when are you in this class?”

“Since the beginning of the semester like everybody else. I usually sit on the other side of the lecture hall, but I see the guy that I hooked up with over the weekend, and I’m trying to avoid him,” Will answers.

“Oh. Well, I’ve been there before.”

They sit in silence for a moment before Will clears his throat and takes a sip of his drink.

“You got something other than hot coffee today! I’m shocked.”

Will rolls his eyes. “I decided to treat myself today.”

“Iced coffee is treating yourself?”

“It’s mixing it up a little bit. Am I allowed to do that?”

“Of course you are. In the words of Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle, treat yo’ self,” Derek jokes. He didn’t expect this to elicit a laugh, but it does.

“Truly a classic episode of Parks and Rec,” Will nods.

“Oh, for sure. But my favorite is The Comeback Kid, you know when Leslie has her campaign rally at the ice rink, and Ben makes his claymation movie?”

“That one’s good, too, but my favorite is the one where they all drink Snake Juice.”

“Another excellent choice.”

By now, their professor is ready to start the lecture. Derek is correct in pegging Will as the guy that pays close attention to everything the professor says. The whole class, he has his pencil poised at the ready to write down everything he deems important. Derek should probably pay more attention than he is, considering he told Larissa she could copy his notes.

Class only seems slightly less painful on this particular day, but Derek can’t really put his finger on why that could be. He’s packing up when he remembers that Will from the coffee shop is next to him.

“Hey, do you have class after this?” Will asks.

“Not until 2:15. Why?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch?”

Derek looks up from packing his bag. He’s pretty sure his ears weren’t making this up. “You want to get lunch?”

Will blushes. “I mean, if you want to. I mean, I was probably going to head to Commons, and I figured we could talk more about Parks and Rec or something.” At this point his entire face is red. Derek finds it kind of cute. But only slightly. It doesn’t make up for the fact that this guy stole his tea.

“Sure, why not? I could talk about Parks and Rec for hours. And it’s Taco Tuesday. Who am I to turn down tacos?”

“I don’t know, maybe a crazy person?” Will jokes as he starts to head for the door.

“Mmmm, I don’t know. I’m already a little crazy, so probably a really crazy person.” This thankfully also makes Will chuckle.

Derek certainly didn’t expect to sort of befriend the guy he accidentally switched Starbucks orders with, but something in the universe seems to be telling him that being friends with this guy might be one of the best decisions he’s made since coming to Samwell.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! Also, full disclosure, I'm probably not going to add to this until closer to the end of summer, because I'm super busy at an internship right now, but I'm really pumped to keep working on this. I do have a bit written, but it's changed a lot since this used to be a Harry Potter fic. 
> 
> In the meantime, you can check out my other stuff and maybe come find me on [Tumblr!](http://mylifeiskara.tumblr.com/)


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